Tag: Michael Chandler

Chandler: I Don’t Need To Get Oliveira Loss Back

UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler has suggested he has no burning desire to exact revenge on current champion Charles Oliveira.

After less than a year in the UFC and just one Octagon outing, Chandler found himself fighting for the 155-poun…

UFC 262: Chandler vs. Oliveira, Michael Chandler

UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler has suggested he has no burning desire to exact revenge on current champion Charles Oliveira.

After less than a year in the UFC and just one Octagon outing, Chandler found himself fighting for the 155-pound title in just his second appearance. After serving as backup for the UFC 254 main event between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje last October, the former three-time Bellator champ made his much-awaited debut on Fight Island in January this year.

In what most thought would be a difficult first test, Chandler breezed past top-10 contender Dan Hooker with a first-round TKO at UFC 257. After Khabib retired and vacated the gold, and Dustin Poirier favored a third fight with McGregor over the title, “Iron” found himself battling promotional veteran Charles Oliveira for the belt.

Despite coming inches away from championship glory in the opening round, Chandler saw his title hopes slip away in the second. After a mighty comeback, “Do Bronx” secured a TKO and left Houston’s Toyota Center as the new lightweight king.

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Chandler Has No Desire For Revenge

Having suffered defeat after coming so close to title glory, Chandler certainly would’ve been forgiven for neglecting media appearances and taking some time to himself. Instead, the #4-ranked 155-pound star broke his loss down on a podcast just days later, and continues to maintain a positive attitude towards his one and only setback in the promotion.

In line with that, Chandler recently claimed he doesn’t feel the need to get the Oliveira fight back and right his UFC 262 wrong. During an interview with MMA Fighting, the 35-year-old said that whilst he’s happy to face “Do Bronx” again for the title, he won’t actively pursue a rematch unless gold is involved.

“Honestly, for me, I never want to get one back, you know. To me, as a man, I look at the sport, whether it’s this sport or any other sport, that it’s just competition and the names and the faces don’t really matter. It’s a guy with two arms and two legs, and he was gonna compete against me that night and he got the better of me, Charles Oliveira did, or there’s been 20 something other times in my career that I’ve got the better of other guys. It’s never, for me, been about getting anything back. I’ve lost numerous times in my career, none of those I need to get back or want to get back.

“Obviously, when I beat Justin Gaethje and Charles Oliveira fights Poirier, if he wins, of course there’s an extra added incentive, not to just go and fight for the UFC title again, win the UFC title, but to beat the guy who took it from me the first time, or took that opportunity from me… that would definitely be some icing on that cake. But it’s never been about the opponent for me. It’s always been about myself.”

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Whether against Oliveira or Poirier, who are set to square off for the lightweight title at UFC 269 next month, Chandler could well be fighting for UFC gold again in 2022 if he’s victorious this weekend. Continuing his trend of only competing against the best in the promotion, “Iron” will open the UFC 268 main card on Saturday against former interim champ Justin Gaethje.

Who do you think will have their hand raised at UFC 268, Michael Chandler or Justin Gaethje?

Continue Reading Chandler: I Don’t Need To Get Oliveira Loss Back at MMA News.

Gaethje: Chandler’s Title Shot After Beating Hooker “Sh*t On The Sport”

UFC lightweight contender Justin Gaethje has continued to slam the UFC for giving Michael Chandler a shot at the vacant title at UFC 262 in May.

Gaethje has had clear disdain towards the promotion for snubbing him when it came to creating the first…

Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira & Michael Chandler

UFC lightweight contender Justin Gaethje has continued to slam the UFC for giving Michael Chandler a shot at the vacant title at UFC 262 in May.

Gaethje has had clear disdain towards the promotion for snubbing him when it came to creating the first championship fight following Khabib Nurmagomedov’s retirement. Despite being interim champ in 2020 and being the last man to challenge “The Eagle,” not only did “The Highlight” find himself out in the cold when it came to the title picture, but he was also left without an opponent for over a year.

Now nearly 13 months on from his defeat to Khabib at UFC 254, Gaethje is set to return to action. In the main card opener of an absolutely stacked UFC 268 pay-per-view this weekend, the 32-year-old will face one of the men chosen to fight for gold earlier this year, former three-time Bellator champ Chandler.

Gaethje Questions Chandler’s Pre-UFC 262 Title Credentials

When Khabib vacated the belt, many expected Gaethje and Dustin Poirier to run it back for the title. After “The Diamond” chose to pursue a lucrative trilogy clash with Conor McGregor and “The Highlight” found himself out of the discussion, Chandler fought for UFC gold in just his second fight in the promotion.

After making the transition to MMA’s leading promotion in 2020, “Iron” made his highly-anticipated debut at UFC 257 in January this year. In the opening round, Chandler made a statement to the division with a TKO finish against the always-durable and tough Dan Hooker.

Despite the impressive debut performance, Gaethje remains baffled that it secured a title shot for Chandler. Speaking to ESPN MMA’s Marc Raimondi ahead of UFC 268, the Arizona native claimed he deserved to be fighting for the belt in Houston.

“With Khabib retiring, it kind of messed things up a little bit. #1 fought #5, #3 fought #4 for the belt, and if you were #2, you know, you were left out in the cold, and it happens that Justin Gaethje was #2. If I was one, four, three, five, then I probably wouldn’t be as upset. Naturally, I wanted the shot. I feel like I deserved the shot.”

Gaethje went on to suggest the decision to have Chandler enter the cage with gold on the line after one win over Hooker “shit on the sport.” Despite claiming he doesn’t have a personal beef with his upcoming opponent, “The Highlight” did admit some of his ill-feeling towards the #4-ranked contender may have derived from his UFC 262 opportunity.

“I think some of the animosity came from him getting a title shot off of beating Dan Hooker. That, in my mind, shit on the sport and shit on what we’re doing here. I was upset about that. Not necessarily with him, more so with the UFC and how the process unfolded.

“I didn’t think a win over Dan Hooker was enough to get him a title shot, no way. Dan is a great fighter, but he’s had a rough streak, and he had a rough streak going into that fight. They wanted someone to fight for a title that didn’t lose to Khabib, I understand that. It’s a multi-billion dollar company, they make their choices and we’ve gotta ride with it. I can criticize from the outside but I don’t know what was going on in the meeting room.”

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After waiting for other rivalries and fights to play out, Gaethje will finally have the opportunity to return to the title picture this Saturday. But in his way will be another former title challenger looking to rebound and stake his claim for a second championship opportunity.

Who do you think will leave Madison Square Garden with another W on their record, Justin Gaethje or Michael Chandler?

Continue Reading Gaethje: Chandler’s Title Shot After Beating Hooker “Sh*t On The Sport” at MMA News.

Chandler: I’ll Be “Swinging For The Fences” For Early KO Against Gaethje

UFC lightweight Michael Chandler certainly isn’t afraid to go toe-to-toe with Justin Gaethje on the feet. He says he’ll be “swinging for the fences” for a knockout finish at UFC 268.

Chandler, a former three-time 155-pound Bellator champion, has es…

Michael Chandler, Justin Gaethje

UFC lightweight Michael Chandler certainly isn’t afraid to go toe-to-toe with Justin Gaethje on the feet. He says he’ll be “swinging for the fences” for a knockout finish at UFC 268.

Chandler, a former three-time 155-pound Bellator champion, has established himself as one of the UFC’s top lightweights after just two fights in the promotion, and even came close to having gold wrapped around his waist. After “Iron” signed with the Dana White-led organization last year, the anticipation for his arrival was high. His debut certainly didn’t disappoint.

In one of the most impressive and emphatic opening Octagon outings, Chandler finished the incredibly tough and durable Dan Hooker in the opening round of the UFC 257 co-main event. Not only did the victory mark his arrival onto MMA’s biggest stage, but it would later be enough to see him fight for the title.

In a contest for lightweight belt, which was vacated by the great Khabib Nurmagomedov, Chandler faced UFC veteran Charles Oliveira in the UFC 262 main event in May. Despite a destructive opening round from the 35-year-old, which almost saw him finish “Do Bronx,” the Brazilian mounted a memorable comeback to secure a second-round TKO.

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Chandler Is On The Hunt For A Second Title Shot

After falling short of the lightweight mountaintop, Chandler will be looking to work his way back to title contention, something he’ll have the chance to do inside Madison Square Garden next weekend. In a blockbuster showdown, he’ll face fellow former title challenger Justin Gaethje, who hasn’t fought since his unification bout defeat to Khabib last October.

On a stacked pay-per-view card, Chandler’s third UFC outing is certainly one of the most anticipated matchups set for next Saturday. During an interview with ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto, Chandler did nothing to downplay the excitement for the contest. With both coming off championship defeats, “Iron” expects a fiery affair against who he described as the “scariest” and “craziest” opponent he’s ever been matched up with.

“(We’re) anticipating the toughest Justin Gaethje that we’ve ever seen. He’s coming off a loss, I’m coming off a loss; essentially shattering both of our dreams of becoming a UFC champion. I expect him to come out with a fire, I’m gonna come out with a fire, and it’s gonna be a good night at Madison Square Garden… when we’ve both stepped in that Octagon, win, lose, or draw, neither of us have ever been in a boring fight. It’s gonna be exciting, no matter what.”

Despite both boasting elite wrestling credentials, many are expecting, and perhaps hoping, that Chandler and Gaethje engage in a stand-up battle at UFC 268. Whilst the former Bellator champion is hoping to bring all aspects of his skillset into the fight, he assured fans that he’ll be giving his all for an early knockout on November 6.

“I’ve always tried to bring a multi-faceted approach to my fights. I want guys to be cognisant and somewhat timid of my power, because whenever they feel my power, they realize what’s coming at them. I wanna push the pace, I wanna touch him in the legs, in the body, in the head, shoot for takedowns, fake takedowns; do it all. That’s how I’ve trained my entire career because when you’ve got power like I possess, a lot of guys tend to evade… I’m just looking to be a complete martial artist on November 6. But I’m gonna be swinging for the fences looking for the knockout early and often.”

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Who do you think will have their hand raised at UFC 268, Michael Chandler or Justin Gaethje?

Continue Reading Chandler: I’ll Be “Swinging For The Fences” For Early KO Against Gaethje at MMA News.

Gaethje Reveals The One Way His Fight With Chandler Could “Suck”

The bout between Michael Chandler and Justin Gaethje seems to have action written all over it, but there is one way the flight could suck.

The main card of UFC 268 will be kicked off with the return of Gaethje, Who has not fought since his 2020 tit…

Justin Gaethje Michael Chandler

The bout between Michael Chandler and Justin Gaethje seems to have action written all over it, but there is one way the flight could suck.

The main card of UFC 268 will be kicked off with the return of Gaethje, Who has not fought since his 2020 title loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov. He is returning against Chandler, who is fresh off his own title fight loss, when Charles Oliveira TKOd him to win the vacant title.

Aside from the fact that this is potentially a number one contender’s fight, this about has action written all over it, with both men being known to throw caution to the wind and brawl. However, Justin Gaethje explained to media at the UFC 268 pre-fight press conference, but there is a specific way where this fight does not end up being fan friendly.

“These guys saw Khabib take me down. A lot of guys have tried to take me down in my career. He was the one that was successful, so maybe they see a path to victory there. I do think that (Chandler) is a smart guy, and I think that he thinks that he would be smart to try to turn this into a wrestling match for a round or two. So yeah, if he was successful there, which he will not be, then it could suck, but not going to happen,” Gaethje said.

It certainly does not seem to be out of the realm of possibility, that Michael Chandler will at least try to wrestle and control Justin Gaethje, provided he could even do so. On the off chance that this is what happens, that would be extremely disappointing for the fans who were expecting a bloodbath, but given the stakes it would make perfect sense for Chandler.

You can check out Justin Gaethje’s entire pre-fight press conference media appearance below:

Continue Reading Gaethje Reveals The One Way His Fight With Chandler Could “Suck” at MMA News.

Justin Gaethje To Colby Covington: ‘You’re A B*tch’

Justin GaethjeJustin Gaethje called Colby Covington a b*tch after saying Kamaru Usman and himself would win their fights at UFC 268. Gaethje was asked if a parlay of Usman and himself would hit this Saturday. He said that he would start it off and Usman would finish it. “I’ll start it off, Kamaru will finish it […]

Justin Gaethje

Justin Gaethje called Colby Covington a b*tch after saying Kamaru Usman and himself would win their fights at UFC 268.

Gaethje was asked if a parlay of Usman and himself would hit this Saturday. He said that he would start it off and Usman would finish it.

“I’ll start it off, Kamaru will finish it off.” Gaethje responded, ” You’re damn right. Trevor Wittman is a genius and you will see that inside the octagon. I can’t wait to fight in front of these f*cking fans. The chaos, all of it. I f*cking love it, let’s go!”

Colby responded by saying “You’re right Justin, Chaos is in the building”. Referring to himself since his nickname is Colby ‘Chaos’ Covington.

Gaethje then quickly responded with, “You’re a bitch”. Gaethje and Usman both train together under Trevor Wittman who also trains Rose Namajuanas. Namajuanas also defends her title at UFC 268 as well. Wittman will have a long night on his hands with three elite level fighters.

Justin Gaethje faces off against Michael Chandler at UFC 268 to see who will get the next lightweight title shot

Gaethje hasn’t had a fight since he lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight title. That fight was a little over a year ago and Nurmagomedov won via submission in the 2nd round. Chandler’s last fight was against Charles Oliveira where he was very close to finishing him and winning the belt in the 1st round. Oliveira recovered in between rounds and ended up knocking Chandler out in the second round to win the vacant title.

Both fighters are coming off title shot losses, but could be right back in that headlining fight after a win over the other. This has been touted as the #1 contender fight. Oliveira defends his title against Dustin Poirier later this year to determine who will be fighting either Chandler or Gaethje.

Who do you have winning, Gaethje or Chandler?

Justin Gaethje Addresses Spat With ‘Incredibly Biased’ Daniel Cormier

Justin Gaethje was not happy with Daniel Cormier suggesting Islam Makhachev gets the next title shot.

Cormier made this declaration after seeing his teammate, Makhachev victiorious at UFC 267, saying in the Octagon that he should get the next title…

Justin Gaethje Daniel Cormier

Justin Gaethje was not happy with Daniel Cormier suggesting Islam Makhachev gets the next title shot.

Cormier made this declaration after seeing his teammate, Makhachev victiorious at UFC 267, saying in the Octagon that he should get the next title shot. The only problem with that is Gaethje is fighting Michael Chandler at UFC 268 in what many are looking at as a #1-contender’s fight.

Following Cormier’s declaration in the Octagon, he and Gaethje had a bit of a back and forth on Twitter, that started with the lightweight contender accusing DC of verbal fellatio on his teammate. It then turned into a back and forth that saw the former two-division champ tell Gaethje to be focused on what’s ahead.

“Suck it harder @dc_mma” Gaethje wrote.

“I can’t fight you, but Islam can my guy. You just go and do what you do next week. You may be safe I’m not sure champ. @Justin_Gaethje” Cormier responded.

“You brought my name up. It wasn’t going to come out of anybody’s mouth,” Gaethje fired back.

“I literally asked why he should get title shot over you? Because he has to convince he deserves to jump you. Hell I thought you should have been in the fight with Charles. Have said it publicly. Calm down highlight , you’re my favorite fighter,” Cormier replied.

Justin Gaethje Addresses Social Media Spat With Cormier

Naturally, this tension between Justin Gaethje and Daniel Cormier was brought up during the UFC 268 pre-fight press conference. Here, the former interim lightweight champ made it clear that he has nothing personal against DC, but feels that he crossed the line into being too biased during his duties as a commentator, no matter how impressive Makhachev looked.

“Yeah (Makhachev’s win) was impressive. Sucks for Dan, late replacement. He wasn’t the guy coming off a full camp for Islam. That’s what that was,” Gaehtje said.

(Cormier) was incredibly biased. At the end of the day, I love Cormier… I felt it was my job that night to tweet and call it out because that’s what I saw. Outside that, it doesn’t matter. I think he knows that he should be in an unbiased mindset when he’s doing this, and I would hope that’s important to him.”

There are certainly some good points that Justin Gaethje is making here, even if he is speaking from a place of his own biases. It will be interesting to see if the UFC goes with Islam Makhachev as the next title contender or the winner of his fight with Michael Chandler.

You can watch the full media scrum below:

Continue Reading Justin Gaethje Addresses Spat With ‘Incredibly Biased’ Daniel Cormier at MMA News.